Had fought 2022 Himachal Assembly election on BJP ticket
Kangra: Rakesh Chaudhary, a prominent political figure from Dharamshala and former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate, passed away at Tanda Medical College and Hospital in Kangra on Tuesday (October 8, 2024) where he was admitted after allegedly attempting suicide by consuming a poisonous substance.
Chaudhary’s wife too is admitted to the same hospital and her condition was stated to be “serious but stable”. The couple is alleged to have attempted suicide last night, the wife learnt to have taken the step after failing to stop Chaudhary.
Sources said Chaudhary’s condition had been critical since he was brought to the hospital and he was kept in the ICU.
Kangra SP confirms incident
Confirming the incident, Kangra Superintendent of Police Shalini Agnihotri said the matter was in their knowledge and an investigation was underway. A formal complaint was yet to be lodged as Chaudhary’s wife was not in a position to give a statement, she said.
Chaudhary had contested the 2022 Himachal Pradesh Assembly election on the BJP ticket from Dharamshala, but lost to then Congress nominee Sudhir Sharma by 3,285 votes. He had polled 24,038 votes compared to 27,323 votes by Sudhir.
Had recently rebelled against BJP
Sudhir recently joined the BJP after rebelling against the Congress over differences with Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, which ultimately necessitated a repoll in Dharamshala. Sudhir, who contested on the BJP ticket, again trounced Chaudhary, who had fought as an Independent. Chaudhary stood third with 10,770 votes, compared to Sudhir’s 28,066 and Congress nominee Devinder Singh Jaggi’s 22,540 votes.
Before this, Chaudhary had contested the 2019 Dharamshala byelection as an Independent when he secured 16,740 votes and lost to BJP’s first-timer Vishal Nehria (23,498) by 6,758 votes.
Chaudhary had recently been at odds with the BJP. Following the announcement that Sudhir would receive the BJP ticket for the 2024 by-election, he publicly expressed his dissatisfaction with the party’s decision. Feeling sidelined, he had declared his intention to contest the by-election as an Independent candidate.
Approached Congress too for ticket
Chaudhary has been a key figure in local politics and was considered a strong contender for the BJP ticket. However, after being passed over in favour of Sudhir Sharma, Chaudhary became increasingly vocal about his discontent with the party leadership. His frustration led him to seek a ticket from the Congress, but his hopes were dashed when the Congress high command announced Devinder Singh Jaggi as their candidate.
